Our News

We realize that last week’s blog post about the IT terms every business should know was a bit lacking as it mostly approached only the very basic terms. We like to keep our blogs toward the shorter side as to not let our geekiness bore our more mainstream readers and clients. But, staying with the same effort of keeping our client’s well-versed in tech jargon, we look to use this space to further explain some of the terms an IT consultant may throw at you. These common terms are just some of those that we’ve seen leave some clients with that unmistakable deer-in-the-headlights look:

NAT – When a single IP address is shared among many devices, it requires a Network Address Translation, used by the router, to do so. For example, a NAT will be required if your business uses a variety of laptops, desktops and tablets that all connect by using the same IP address. Your ISP provides you with your IP address.

DHCP – When you need to connect a laptop to your Wi-Fi network, it’s the Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol that allows you to avoid having to set up a static IP address manually. Through this protocol, your device automatically requests the router for an IP adress. Network settings are also assigned through the DHCP.

Hostnames- For each device connected to a network, a hostname is given to identify it. A hostname is simply a label that can be read by humans.

Domain Name – A domain name is basically the base part of your company’s website address, like fracrack.com. A domain name is just another type of hostname.

Ethernet – If your company’s computers use a cable to connect to the internet, you are using the standard wired network technology that is referred to as ethernet. It requires the use of an ethernet cable plugged into the ethernet port on your computer.

Once again, we’ve run out of space to explain more network and computer terms, but as Chesterfield’s Top-Rated Local® IT consultants and cloud service provider we work to be as transparent as possible; welcoming whatever questions our existing and potential customers have. Look for future posts that further explain those terms you’ve always questioned.

Sure, computer technology is becoming more and more user-friendly; there’s little doubt about that. But the systems needed to configure these innovative programs are more complicated and intricate than ever. Which basically means no more tinkering and troubleshooting by the basic computer owner. No more “shut it down and reboot” for most issues and problems. No more asking the guy who’s “good with computers” to come over on his break and take a look. Because of the complications involved with today’s technologies, many business owners and managers are utilizing the services of an outsourced IT support team. Unfortunately, many are going in blind when enlisting the help of a local IT consultant; not truly understanding what to expect. Well, here it is: what you should expect from any IT support team that is worth your time and money:

Lightning-quick response – Understanding that your access to your data networks are as integral to your doing business as your actual staff is, we place response times as a top priority at FracRack. Even the best, most educated, IT consultant is of little use if they are not quick to act.

Easily accessible – Ok, maybe we should have listed accessibility first, as one can’t expect quick response if you can’t access your IT support whenever you should need them. We know that computer networking problems can’t really be planned for. Therefore, we place extra importance and remaining accessible to our clients so that whenever there is an issue with their business applications, infrastructure, software or project management needs, they can rely on us.

Expert level knowledge – Your IT support team should absolutely be skilled beyond comparison when dealing with your specific business applications and field-specific IT needs. At all times, without fail, you should be able to rely on the expertise of your IT consultants to service, repair and maintain any aspect of your IT infrastructure.

Unparalleled customer care – Walking in our customer’s shoes has taught our team to be constantly focused on providing unmatched customer service. We see “above and beyond” as an everyday standard and expect nothing less from every member of our staff.

Jargon. Any business owner knows that the overuse of it, when communicating with customers, can be the kiss of death. At one level, your use of industry terms and industry lingo can help you look like an expert; taken too far and you’ve become an insufferable wind-bag. As technophiles, we run into this problem all the time. Where we truly want to communicate in layman’s terms, to many business owners, a well-intended IT consultant can come off as overbearing when using idioms that we believe to be common knowledge. In an effort to effectively communicate, we’ve compiled a list of IT support terms that we use on a daily basis. These common terms and acronyms include:

ISP – Written or spoken in its full use, rather than just the acronym, Internet Service Provider is actually pretty self-explanatory. Your ISP is the company that you pay for your internet connection and service.

LAN – Another simple acronym, a LAN is a Local Area Network. Either an office network or a home network is considered a LAN.

WAN- A Wide Area Network serves a much wider area than your LAN. For instance, your ISP uses their WAN to connect your network to the internet.

IP Address – Every computer on a network is assigned a numerical address. That address is referred to as an Internet Protocol, or IP, address.

Router – Basically, a router does just that. It routes information between your local devices and the internet.

Though these terms are fairly basic, they do represent just the beginning of technology lingo and jargon that encompasses the IT and computer networking world. We’ll discuss more terms in our next post so check back to learn more.